Recommended Scents for SWMBO?

[davecmu]

Good morning, guys.

My wife has begun asking me questions about my (INCREDIBLY MODEST) collection of cologne, and it dawned on me that the only thing she has worn as an adult (which means, probably the only perfume she has ever worn) is Cool Water by Davidoff (the pretty little blue genie bottle for women). That's it. I bought it blind about 12 years ago and it has been her only scent since (although she's on her third or fourth bottle).

She is now a totally grown up woman in a totally grown up job. We are also expecting our second child in June, and he is another boy, so she made a joke about having to up the "girl ante" in the household through more shoes, purses, pedicures, and perfumes. Being the good husband I am, I can see the hint pulsing clearly, a bright neon beacon on a dark and fogless night.

So, knowing that we will have to sample the suggestions on her before committing to any purchases, where should I start? What would you suggest are some good, approachable, reasonably-priced (we're talking $75 or less here, guys, but it can be 50mL bottles as she won't wear it every day) basics/standards for women's perfume?

Cool Water, her only adult scent, does work nicely for her, so don't hesitate to suggest other aquatics or things in a similar vein.

Thanks in advance!

[Pulley]

Here are a few of the frags that I bought SWMBO and we both love them.
1 - Anna Pliska EdP - from Lucky Scent $55
2 - Ormonde Jayne Osmanthus - 70£ - order direct - they also have a 40£ discovery set with all their fragrances - includes free shipping.
3 - Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion - $ 99 Lucky Scent.
4 - Diptyque Eau Duelle - $ 88 Lucky Scent

[Barber-Eile]

I used to adore Cool Water! But like your wife, I find it a little too young for my taste now. Try The One by Dolce and Gabbana or ( and this is always very popular) Ralph Lauren's Romance.
I'm quite picky about my scents and find most too be either too sweet and sickly or too musky and heavy.
The two above however are the perfect balance for me and smell nicely sophisticated yet you can wear them every day.

[john parker]

Think you and your wife may be on the brink of a wonderful journey! First, I have no personal fond regard for either Cool Water or Creed's Green Irish Tweed which it is said to resemble. Having said that, may I suggest, in the absence of knowing what types of fragrances your wife may like, that excursions to department stores, the Body Shop and L'Occitane for samplings would be a good idea and an adventure. Also, though reading impressions on the internet is very unlike actually smelling things for oneself, you might review what people say on Basenotes.com. Samples over the internet might also work. The Perfumed Court is popular and Scented Monkey has a "try it first" sample program; am sure there are others. When it actually comes to buying there are a number of good internet discount sources. Two my wife and I have used lately include Parum1 and Beauty Encounter. Good luck with the search! It is a lot of fun!

[davecmu]

Great info so far, everyone.

@Pulley - Thanks for the suggestions. The Diptyque and Ormonde juices both sound like definite moves toward mature scents for my wife. :thumbsup:

@Eile - I especially appreciate the insight from a reformed Cool Water user! Those juices are now on the list.

@JP - We'll definintely be sampling through decant joints like The Perfumed Court. She has a pretty sensitive sniffer that is quickly overcome by multiple sample smelling, so a trip to the mall fragrance counter or L'Occitane will just be too much. Ordering a small set of decants for her to try will be a much less overwhelming experience. I hope this thread serves to begin narrowing down a short list of samples to order to minimize the sniffing.

Keep those suggestions coming, people - I won't be ordering this week, so lots of time.

[BRuhling]

My wife has always been a dedicated Chanel woman, but recently purchased a bottle of Narcisso Rodriguez Musc collection Eau de Parfum Intense and she's been VERY pleased...

[whiteweed]

"The Fragrance" at Victoria Secret is very nice.

[StylinLA]

I'm afraid I know little about women's scents. But I would suggest going online with her and looking at some of the Perfumed Courts packaged sample kits.

Also, Lucky Scent does incredible (and dangerous) write ups of their scents, has some customer reviews and you can search by notes. Find out what notes are in the scents she has used so far.

Not knowing anything about her preferences, not sure what specific scents she might like. There are some highly renowned women's scents from Guerlain and others, but much like some men's scents, some women will find them too stuffy or "old." Luca Turin (and a few others) think Mitsouko is the finest scent made; a masterpiece of perfume. Depends on her age and taste.

[BCatl]

Ysatis (Edt) by Givenchy is a classic and as far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong with it. So I would definitely recommend that you check this out.

Bijan Women is considerably less expensive (can be found at Ross) and I have given it to three ladies in my life and they love it.

[alvinnjoinerIV]

gucci guilty
marc jacobs lola

[Aaron01]

Guerlain Shalimar
Chanel No. 19
Tom Ford Black Orchid
Hermes Caleche; Kelly Caleche; 24, Faubourg
Christian Dior Diorella

[justinp]

Guerlain Shalimar
Chanel No. 19
Tom Ford Black Orchid
Hermes Caleche; Kelly Caleche; 24, Faubourg
Christian Dior Diorella

I think some of these tend a bit heavy for someone that's used to wearing Cool Water for Women. CW is pretty firmly on the light and airy side of things, whereas Shalimar and No. 19 are more in the "I'm a perfume, dammit" camp. Black Orchid is designed to match modern tastes, but it's still a very aggressive scent.

Sort of like telling a guy who popped in with "I want something like Acqua di Gio but less ubiquitous" to go buy a bottle of Hammam Bouquet...

I'd stay shy of heavy scents unless she's interested in expanding her range of 'fumes. Think zippy white florals like Penhaligon's Orange Blossom, maybe some light citrus-based scents?

[Aaron01]

I think some of these tend a bit heavy for someone that's used to wearing Cool Water for Women. CW is pretty firmly on the light and airy side of things, whereas Shalimar and No. 19 are more in the "I'm a perfume, dammit" camp. Black Orchid is designed to match modern tastes, but it's still a very aggressive scent.

Sort of like telling a guy who popped in with "I want something like Acqua di Gio but less ubiquitous" to go buy a bottle of Hammam Bouquet...

I'd stay shy of heavy scents unless she's interested in expanding her range of 'fumes. Think zippy white florals like Penhaligon's Orange Blossom, maybe some light citrus-based scents?

:oops: I have a bad habit of not reading entire OPs before posting :blushing: :lol:

I'm not too familiar with more lighter scented feminine scents around the OP's price range, but going to the Guerlain, Hermes or Chanel counter and just having a sniff would definitely not be a bad place to start. I think StylinLA's suggestion of getting one of TPC's sample kits would be a good idea as well, some of them have a fairly wide variety of scents in them. Once she tries them and finds ones she likes it can be a bit easier to find some similar scents.

[Featherweight]

I second stopping by the Chanel counter at your local department store. Also, just because she likes Cool Water Woman doesn't mean she won't like something with a different scent profile. She may find an oriental appealing. Or a rich floral. Chanel, YSL, and Guerlain make some fresher scents also.

This is a journey that will be daunting. For every male scent there's a dozen feminine perfumes. But women tend to know exactly what they like to smell, so I doubt it will take her long to go "oooooh, yes! this one . . . "



...

[L. Martino]

Hiya,

I'd recommend sniffing fragrances before buying, but sometimes that's tough to do. Going by other opinions about a scent is iffy at best.

I'd suggest visiting a store like Sephora. There's a good selection of brands to choose from, and the salespeople can be very friendly and helpful. No problem getting decants of various items of interest.

The thing is, I'd not suggest buying or not buying something based on the first few whiffs. Sometimes it can take well over an hour for the scent to unfold totally, so just keep that in mind.

Nordstroms would be another place to try, or Nieman Marcus of course for the high end juice.

Once you find some fragrances that work, you can take a look over at Basenotes and read up on the stuff. From the reviews you'll get other ideas about what to sample next that might be similar to your favorite. That's where the delighful ladies at TPC can come in handy. Heh, it's another bottomless rabbit hole.

Martin

[DavyRay]

I recommend decants and samples, as you are already planning. It will take your wife some time to develop her own taste in perfume after sampling some. Not hours, but weeks. It should be a pleasant experience for her.

You can guess what she will decide she likes, but it is only a guess. No more accurate than guesses we make here from hundreds of miles away. So I will recommend her to sample a couple of established perfumes.

Shalimar
Chanel No. 5
Chanel No. 19

She may decide that she wants to smell like a woman, dammit. Or she may decide something else entirely. That's how that works. Good luck to her and you. Have some fun.

[davecmu]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. It is all very helpful!

[Silk]

Of all the scents I've bought for or tried with the wife, my favourite by far is Pen's Amaranthine.

[jakespoppy]

It's great that your wife has asked you to help her in her search, and it will be fun to explore together. Lots of good suggestions above, and I agree getting samples and decants is a good way to get a better feel for what is available. And you can't do that by sniffing perfumes one time and deciding in a few minutes, as has also been pointed out.

I have a few additional thoughts for you. First, encourage your wife to take her time and not feel rushed to choose a perfume. If you pick out multiple samples and/or decants, she should just take them one at a time, one day at a time, and consider them her perfume for the day. This way she can enjoy wearing many different perfumes over a period of time, and she can think about them, take notice of them throughout the day to see how she likes them during the first hour and time to time after that. She might enjoy seeing how they change, or seeing how some are linear and don't change. And she can go back to the Cool Water she likes on some days, too. I'm still working through samples that I got a year ago, trying one when I feel inclined to do so. She doesn't have to rush through this, she can simply enjoy wearing many different fragrances until she finds one or some that she simply can't do without.

Second, don't assume just because a perfume is very different from what she likes and uses now (Cool Water) that she won't like it. How many of us like fragrances that we never knew existed before we started exploring? I had no idea fragrances like Yatagan, Czech & Speake #88, or even Brooks Brothers 1818 even existed, much less that I would like them. That's the beauty of samples and decants. She can try new fragrances without investing too much in either money, or "wearing time".

Finally, you should be prepared to let her have her "YMMV" space. Only she can decide what she likes and doesn't like, even though you might be surprised when she doesn't like something you think she will. And only she can decide how many she wants to try until she selects what she wants to wear all the time. She may get there quicky, or it may take a long time. It's her call. You are there to help her and enjoy discussing these with her, not to influence her to one or another. Remember, if she doesn't like a particular note, it only takes a tiny hint of it in a scent to make it unpleasant for her. And you may not even notice it's there. My wife can smell much more detail in a fragrance than I can.

Let us know how this exciting adventure goes for you, and good luck! :thumbup1:

[Don_Draper]

W/d.